


Courage

by glaciya



Series: JayTim Week-AUs and Tropes [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Jason and Tim are totally obvious to everyone around them, Jock Tim, M/M, Nerd Jason, Prom, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 13:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14021142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glaciya/pseuds/glaciya
Summary: “How ‘bout we make out, eat, make out, make out some more, and then maybe get to the project if we have time.” Tim’s cheeky grin persuades a smile out of him even as Jason rolls his eyes skyward.





	Courage

**Author's Note:**

> I'm combining a jaytim week prompt for secretly dating with a request I have on tumblr for "Nerd Jason".  
> Hope you all like it! :D

Jason hates when teachers feel the need to make their students socialize unnecessarily. It happens at least once or twice a semester. They’d get it in their heads that teenagers don’t know how to communicate, even though most of them were almost eighteen or already there by senior year. Jason knows well enough how to talk to people, he just doesn’t like to if he doesn’t have to.

They mix it up on purpose too, partnering students with people they knew weren’t in the same social groups. And, in Miss Lance’s social studies class, Jason doesn’t have anyone he considers his friend, so he’s going to be put with someone he doesn’t like regardless. Someone who will likely force Jason to do both halves of the project.

“And Jason, you will be working with Tim!” 

Ah, there it is. Jason would get put with the laziest kid in class. He throws a glance across the room at his new partner, catching him share a disappointed glance with Bart-the boy who Tim obviously had wanted to work with instead.

After the shared look with Bart, Tim turns his attention over to Jason. When their eyes meet, Tim seems surprised to find Jason already looking. He recovers quickly, sending Jason a small smile. Jason returns the smile half heartedly, giving him a wave with the pen in his left hand. 

He returns his attention to Miss Lance when she starts going over the guide for their project, thankful for a reason to get out of the awkward little exchange. She says they won’t start the project in class until Monday, which will give Jason time during the weekend to finish up the whole thing and then he’ll be able to take it easy next week. 

Class ends, and most of the kids move toward their partners as they leave, but Tim moves with Bart to the door, leaving Jason to exit the classroom on his own. He doesn’t mind though. He had wanted to stop by the library to visit the school librarian before he went home anyway. He had just finished the new book Miss Gordon recommended last night, and has been anxiously awaiting the end of the day so they could discuss the plot twist that he hadn’t seen coming. 

He expects that to be the last he sees of Tim until next week, since it’s the end of the school day, so he’s surprised to find Tim waiting for him at his locker when he gets there. He’s already changed into his baseball uniform, with his cap on backward and a sideways ponytail to help keep his too long hair out of his face. 

“Hey,” Jason says when Tim is too distracted by his phone to notice him. Tim looks up from his phone, smiling at Jason again unsurely, like he doesn’t know how to act around Jason. Jason understands the feeling well.

“Hi,” Tim moves aside to let Jason into his locker. “I was just wondering if you wanted to get a head start on our presentation for Miss Lance’s class this weekend. That way we don’t have to worry about it next week.”

“And here I thought you were the type to do things last minute normally,” Jason smirks. He’s seen Tim frantically copying Bart’s homework answers before the final bell rings multiple times in this semester alone.

“And I thought you were the type to finish up homework as soon as possible,” Tim rolls his eyes, as if Jason’s ridiculous for wanting to stay ahead. “Look, I know how you get with group projects and I’m not going to let you pull all the weight with this one. Besides,” he casts a quick glance down the length of Jason’s body, “I don’t mind being productive when I have good enough reason.”

Jason figures it would be impolite to scoff, so he manages to hold it back, only barely. Tim is probably Gotham High’s least smooth flirt, but that doesn’t stop him from trying almost every conversation. “Whatever. Can you meet me at my house later?”

“Sure,” Tim agrees easily, eyes lighting up. “I’ve got practice until six. I’ll pick us up some pizza on my way over.” 

***

Jason’s mom isn’t there when he gets home, likely working a double at the diner down the street. He spends the time until Tim comes over going back and forth between fretting over the cleanliness of the house, and then wondering why he’s even bothering trying to impress Tim by how neat his house is. The Drake family owns a maid for goodness sake. 

He’s only just managed to calm himself down when he enters his room and catches sight of all the Avengers and Star Wars action figures he had collected. He’s lost to his nerves as he frantically, but gently, shoves  them out of sight. Afterword, as he lays breathing heavy on his bed, he admits that maybe he cares just a little about what Tim thinks of him.

The doorbell rings not too much long after Jason is finished Tim-proofing his home. He makes sure to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans before opening the door, not that he’s planning on touching Tim as a greeting- it’s just in case.

He doesn’t have time to say a greeting before Tim shoves a pizza box and two breadstick boxes into his arms. “Umm, thanks?”

“You’re welcome,” Tim brushes past him, smelling like sweat and the outdoors. “I brought paper plates and cups-not that I think you don’t have dishes-just like, so we don’t dirty any of your dishes.” Tim gives a little half shrug with his shoulder then sets the plastic bag he’s carrying on Jason’s coffee table. 

Jason does the same with their boxes of food, stomach growling as the smell reaches his nostrils. “So, do you want to eat first and then-” His sentence cuts off abruptly when Tim closes the short distance between them and leans on his tiptoes to kiss him.

His hat bumps painfully into Jason’s forehead before falling to the floor, but Jason finds he doesn’t mind that or the interruption as the kiss continues. He fists Tim’s baseball shirt in his hands as the kiss deepens, walking them backwards until his knees bump into the couch and he lets himself fall. Tim follows him down, bracing his knees on either side of Jason’s thighs and nipping Jason’s bottom lip when Jason runs a playful hand along his ribs to tickle him.

An indefinite amount of time later, Tim breaks the kiss with a loud smack of his lips and a stuttered breath. 

“How ‘bout we make out, eat, make out, make out some more, and then maybe get to the project if we have time.” Tim’s cheeky grin persuades a smile out of him even as Jason rolls his eyes skyward.

“How about no. You know I have to keep my grades up to stay eligible for the scholarship at Gotham U. I really don’t want to spend the rest of my life in debt just for getting an education.”

“And you know the only requirement for the Tim Drake scholarship is that you keep making out with me,” Tim teases playfully, even though Jason knows he would pay for everything if Jason even hinted at wanting help.

“I want you to be my boyfriend, not my sugar daddy,” Jason laughs. 

“Do you?”

Jason frowns at the sudden seriousness in Tim’s voice. “Do I what?”

“Want me to be your boyfriend. It’s just...” Tim sighs, running a hand through his hair. “We’ve been together six months now and none of our friends even know. Honestly, do you know how hard it was to act like I wasn’t absolutely ecstatic when Miss Lance put us together?” Tim smiles at the last part but Jason can’t find it in him to return it.

“I don’t want to tell anyone yet because I want you to stay my boyfriend.”

“What does that even mean?”   
  


“It means that they’re going to have something to say about you being with the weird kid who doesn’t talk and smells like smoke all the time,” he barrels on when Tim starts to open his mouth to speak. “And even if they don’t, the rest of the school is going to gossip. I just don’t want to risk the chance that you’ll listen when they tell you that you can do better than me.” He directs the last sentence at the third button on Tim’s shirt, unable to look him in the eyes. 

Tim’s not having any of that though, because he cups Jason’s face in his hands and forces Jason to look back at him. 

“And here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one in this relationship,” Tim sighs. “You remember the night we first started talking? After we bumped into each other at the ice skating rink?”

“Yeah?”

“That wasn’t an accident,” Tim laughs at Jason’s expression becomes pinched in confusion. “I heard this group of girls talking about how hot you were, daring each other to go talk to you and I just thought  _ no way _ . There’s no way they were going to talk to the boy that I’ve been crushing on since the third grade.” 

Jason blinks. 

Stares. 

Blinks again. “What?” 

“You heard me,” Tim says. “Since the third grade, after you shoved that Draper kid for saying my drawing was ugly, and not once did I think other people’s opinions of my crush, because it doesn’t matter,” his smile drops. “I wish it didn’t to you either, but I get it. If you don’t want to tell anyone, then we won’t. I’m not going to be the pushy boyfriend. No way.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Of course,” Tim says sincerely. “Now let’s eat some pizza and get this stupid project over with.”

“Actually,” Jason says, gripping Tim’s hips when he starts to pull away from him. “I think we’re due for some more making out now.”

***

“We should do this more often,” Jason says later, as Tim’s gathering his things to leave. “We usually go somewhere whenever we hang out, but this was nice,” he smiles hesitantly. “My mom’s working a double again next Saturday…”

“Actually I have plans that day.” 

“Oh umm,” Jason frowns when Tim doesn’t clarify. “Maybe next weekend then?”

“Yeah, sure.”

***

Prom is next Saturday, Jason realizes the following Monday when the teachers pass out the voting sheets in homeroom. And there sits Tim’s name, right in the center of the list of candidates for prom king. Jason circles it five times in bright red ink. 

He waits for Tim to bring it up during the week, either during their phone calls right before bed or when they push their desks together in social studies even though they’re already done with their project, just for an excuse to talk to each other during school hours. 

But he never says anything. Not even when Bart interrupts them to congratulate Tim on being a candidate, or when Stephanie Brown ambushes them next to Jason’s locker to inform them of the terrible things she’ll do to them if they didn’t vote for her. Jason had wrote in Kori’s name instead, but he chooses to keep that to himself. 

He knows why Tim doesn’t bring it up, because he doesn’t want to be the pushy boyfriend, Jason is just surprised at how disappointed he feels. 

It doesn’t get mentioned until Bart approaches him during the fourth period class they have together, sliding into the seat next to him instead of sitting in his usual spot next to Jaime. 

“Hey, it’s Jason right?” Bart asks, like they haven’t been going to the same school since kindergarten. 

“Yup,” Jason says, choosing to keep his attention on copying the notes the teacher already has up on the board. He sighs when Bart doesn’t speak up right away, just continues looking at him with wide hopeful eyes. “Did you need something?”

“Well you know, prom is this Saturday and-jeez how do I say this without sounding like a total spaz…” Bart mumbles while Jason’s grip tightens on his pen. He desperately hopes that this conversation isn’t going the way he thinks it is. “There’s a party at Conner’s after the dance and we were going to surprise Tim after to congratulate him-because he’s going to win- but we didn’t know if you guys had plans or not.”

Jason’s pen scratches a hole in the paper. “He told you?”

“About wh-Oh! No no no,” Bart’s voice rises an octave in his panic. “It’s just, well you two aren’t are very good at hiding stuff. Like, Tim’s always texting this mysterious boy with your name, and you two make goo-goo eyes at each other when you think no one is looking. Aww you’re red now, that’s adorable. I can totally see why he likes you.” Bart makes finger guns at him while Jason’s face continues trying to melt off.

“And you’re okay with it?” 

“Of course dude,” Bart says, like Jason’s ridiculous for even asking. “You make him happy, and that’s good enough for me...and Conner and Steph. They know too.”

“That means Kori and Roy probably know too,” Jason sighs.

“Most definitely, yeah.” 

And there’s relief. An ease in the tension that he didn’t even realize was in his shoulders. 

“No,” he says after a moment, remembering there was a reason to this conversation. “We don’t have any plans. We actually haven’t really talked about it at all.” 

****

Saturday evening finds him glaring at the entirety of his closet strewn out in a mess across his bed. He has nothing even resembling a suit. He takes a breath, lets it out. He can work with this. He can work with...a clean red shirt, a pair of jeans without holes in them, and a black jacket. 

Prom is being hosted at some fancy hotel that must have cost a fortune to rent out. The tickets themselves were almost a hundred dollars, which is why Jason is forced to sneak in through the side entrance to get passed the teachers standing at the main gate.

It takes him awhile to find the area where the dance is being held because there is a surprising lack music playing while he’s searching the building. He eventually hears the school principals voice, shouting for everyone to settle down and follows it as the principal continues the speech that Jason can only half hear.

The banquet hall is nearly full with all the students in his senior class, but he easily spots Tim, standing on the stage behind the principal along with the other prom court candidates. Stephanie stands a little ways in front of them, tiara sitting on top of her pretty blond head. 

Jason keeps creeping through the crowd as the principal tries to build up suspense to the announcement of the king, but no one seems surprised when Tim’s name is called, not even his competitors. 

Tim and Stephanie look like the picture perfect couple, walking together down to the center of the dancefloor arm in arm. It’s tradition for the prom king and queen to share a dance while everyone watches, and that’s exactly what Jason expects to happen as Tim and Stephanie turn to face each other. But then some silent exchange happens between them, which results in Tim taking a step away from Stephanie while she turns her attention to the crowd surrounding them. 

By now, Jason has moved close enough to have an unobstructed view of the two of them. He clearly sees the delight on Stephanie’s face when she spots Cassandra, standing on the edge of the crowd surrounding the prom king and queen. They move toward each other in sync, prompting adoring coos from the audience as they start to dance together.

Jason turns his attention back to Tim, who is watching the two girls with an almost forcefully impassive expression. It prompts Jason to move before even thinking about it.

Tim doesn’t spot him until Jason is nearly right in front of him. His eyes flickering over to Jason dully before they register who it is and widen in surprise.  

“ _ Jason _ ?” Tim stares. “I didn’t think you’d come.”   
  


Jason closes the distance between them, placing an arm around Tim’s waist and gripping Tim’s hand in his other. For all of Tim’s shock, he only freezes for a brief second before he starts swaying with Jason in the beginning movements of their first slow dance. 

Relief washes over Jason. He can already feel the heavy heat of their peers eyes on them, and doesn’t know what he would have done if Tim had rejected him. 

“I didn’t think I would either,” Jason confesses. “But I’m glad I did.”

***

They get kicked out two songs later-or rather-Jason gets kicked out for not following the dress code, and then Tim stubbornly leaves with him despite the teacher’s protests. 

“Let’s go get some burgers,” Tim says as they make their way to Jason’s motorcycle. “You wouldn’t believe how terrible the dinner they served was. It was all chicken, and salad, and just  _ healthy stuff _ . They didn’t even have pizza, Jason!”

“Blasphemy,” Jason monotones, then hesitates before adding, “After burgers, do you want to go to Conner’s party together?”

Tim’s answering smile is small, but his eyes burn bright. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, please let me know with a comment and/or a kudos <33  
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr [Glaciya](https://glaciya.tumblr.com/) if you're interested :)


End file.
